| Activity | Museum Victoria has its origins in the Museum of Natural History, which opened on 9 March 1854 in the Government Assay Office in La Trobe Street, Melbourne. An independent colony since 1851, Victoria was experiencing a boom brought about by the gold rushes. The local regions of Melbourne and Geelong were occupied by a population of more than 80 000 people and nearly 6 million sheep. As the surrounding countryside was explored, the first collections of new and unusual geological and biological specimens began to take shape.
The museum was transferred to more distinguished surroundings at the University of Melbourne in Parkville in 1856 and became formally known as the National Museum of Victoria. In 1858, Professor Frederick McCoy was appointed its director and the collections quickly burgeoned.
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